The present invention generally relates to an all sports net. In particular, the present invention relates to a modular net and frame assembly adapted to a variety of sports, the net forming an enclosure for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like, and the enclosure being formed into the shape of a prism. A plurality of netting panels are removably attached to a tubular frame structure to enclose the frame assembly except for at least one open side plane.
Nets are commonly used for a wide variety of sporting activities played on an level, open field. A representative, but certainly not exhaustive, list of such sports includes soccer, field hockey, batting and pitching practice for baseball, throwing and kicking practice for football, golf driving practice and archery practice. Unfortunately, nets for each of these sports have not been seen as interchangeable and, indeed, have in the past taken on different sizes and shapes.
The primary users of such nets are institutional users, such as schools, churches and leagues. However, even though these institutional users typically look for ways to save funds, they have found it necessary in the past to purchase a specific net or nets for each sport. It would therefore be advantageous for such institutional users, as well as other users such as individuals, to be able to purchase one or just a few nets that can be adapted for use with every sport.
Unfortunately, such a universal sports net has not been readily available. Several net designs exist, including frame and net structures. These nets typically include a frame forming a periphery to which is attached a mesh or net material. Some frames comprise a set of interlocking right-angle poles that, when fully assembled, form a rectangular shape across which a screen or net is a positioned and into which a sport object can be thrown or kicked. Such frames, however, are typically dedicated to a single sport, usually fairly expensive and complex to assemble, particularly alone. Other frames comprise self-erecting flexible rings that can be folded upon themselves and which are attached about their periphery to a net or mesh. Although easier to deploy, such frames likewise are dedicated to a single sport use.
To overcome these and other disadvantages of the prior art, the present disclosure, briefly described, provides an improved all sports net assembly for forming an enclosure for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like. The assembly may be readily assembled for deployment on any relatively flat ground surface and subsequently readily disassembled for storage The assembly includes a tubular frame structure formed into the shape of a prism, preferably a regular square prism. A plurality of intermediate pole segments interconnect a plurality of corner units. Each of the corner units comprise pole receiving portions extending along at least three independent axes, preferably in at least the vertical and two horizontal directions, where each pole receiving portion receives an end of an intermediate pole segment to define at least independent four flat intersecting and interconnected planes. A plurality of netting panels are removably attached to the tubular frame structure so as to enclose the tubular frame structure except for at least one side of the tubular frame structure.
The modular all sports net assembly of the present invention can be readily assembled and disassembled, while providing a net that is very effective for use in number of different sports, such as a goal net for soccer or field hockey or a backstop for batting or golf driving practice. The frame structure and net assembly can be readily adapted to form a regular square prism only or can be combined to form other prisms of varying shapes and sizes. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the netting is formed from individual, discrete panels that can be deployed upon the frame assembly to form a rectangle when joined with other tubular frame structures having an opening along the longer side of such a rectangle or as an enclosure with an opening on only one side to create an extended net or tunnel.
As will appear from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment to follow, the features of the all sports net render it suitable for a wide variety of conditions and uses. Particularly in the case of institutions such as schools and colleges, the flexibility and adaptability of the present invention to an almost infinite number of applications render a sports net virtually always readily available, and therefore offers an overall relatively inexpensive net compared to nets having a single dedicated sports application or use.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining the preferred embodiment of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The modular all sports net of the present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and not limitation. Where specific dimensional and material specifications have been included or omitted from the specification or the claims, or both, it is to be understood that the same are not to be incorporated into the appended claims.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims are regarded as including such equivalent constructions as far as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with the patent or legal terms of phraseology, to learn quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, the Abstract is intended to define neither the invention nor the application, which is only measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a modular all sports net that is readily adapted to function advantageously with a number of different sports, such as soccer and baseball.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new modular all sports net that is formed from easily manipulated pole and corner sections that is easily assembled and disassembled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular all sports net that forms an enclosure for receiving and retaining a sports item such as a ball or the like to restrict the travel of the ball so that the ball immediately drops to the ground upon impacting the net.
It is still yet an object of the present invention to provide a modular all sports net formed from interlocking pole and corner sections where the poles are further collapsible for easier storage.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a new modular all sports net that is relatively inexpensive, robust and durable.
These and other objects, along with the various features and structures that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the modular all sports net of the present disclosure, its advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
While embodiments of the all sports net are herein illustrated and described, it is to be appreciated that various changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.